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Laura,

I'm really disappointed to hear that your psychiatrist doesn't seem to be helping you a whole lot. Have you talked about changing the type of mood stabilizer you're on, or changing the dose, or adding on an adjunctive medication? From what you're describing to me, it does not sound like your moods are being controlled very well at all. Once you can get your mood stabilized, the sleep will improve itself drastically. Sleep and bipolar episodes are very deeply intertwined, when one goes, so does the other, and when one improves, often the other does too.

Be careful when using alternative treatments like herbs. Valerian root can be a good relaxant for someone without bipolar disorder, but for someone with bipolar disorder it can actually trigger a manic episode. Also, you don't know how the compounds in Valerian root will interact with the medications you're already on. You need to talk to your doctor before you take any sort of herbal treatment. Just because they are herbs sold over the counter doesn't mean they are perfectly safe - they are a medication, just a different kind, and you need to treat them as you would a medication.

I hope you're able to get your bus pass, it sounds like it would be a good thing for you to have. That would give you a lot more freedom of mobility to get yourself to social events, volunteering positions, etc.